Dallas Mavericks: Ranking all 5 starters for the 2021-22 season

Dallas Mavericks starters ranked: 2. PF Kristaps Porzingis

Love him and hate him – and Mavs fans are surely divided on the topic – Kristaps Porzingis is still around in Dallas. Regardless of what his future holds, expectations for the big man to produce will remain high.

Porzingis played in just 43 games last year, but his numbers weren’t bad. He averaged 20.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. He hit 37.6 percent of his threes and shot his best-ever marks from the field (47.6 percent) and the free-throw line (85.5 percent).

He’s also become one of the better players in the NBA when it comes to protecting the ball. His 6.4 turnover percentage ranked right outside the top five in the league, his second straight year in the top 15.

The postseason was a different story. Porzingis’ minutes increased from the regular season, but his production dropped off in a major way. He averaged just 13.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game during the postseason. He also hit less than 30 percent of his 3-point attempts.

Not helping matters is the reported tension between Doncic and Porzingis. Both are young European stars in a market that has supported such players well in the past. But if the Mavs are faced with a decision, they’re choosing Doncic every time. Porzingis will have to cope with that.

There’s no reason to think he isn’t capable of that. Porzingis is already a star and just turned 26 years old. He has the ideal skills for a big man of this age and can carve out a really unique role in the history of the Mavericks franchise, a la Dirk Nowitzki.

Trade rumors will continue to haunt Porzingis for the time being, though. His play at the beginning of the year may determine whether or not his third season in Dallas will be his last.